Dear Editor,
 
I wholeheartedly commend Bahamas Christian Council (BCC) President Rev. Dr. Ranford Patterson and the group of pastors (Pastors Lyall Bethel, Dr. Myles Munroe, Cedric Moss, et al.) out of Nassau who openly spoke out against the illegal gambling industry that continues to erode the moral fabric of The Bahamas.
Like them, I too am vehemently opposed to gambling. Even though there is no 11th commandment that says ''thou shall not gamble,'' I believe gambling is a violation of at least seven Biblical principles: honesty, love, stewardship, a good work ethic, avoiding greed, trusting God and avoiding danger.
By that last principle, I mean addiction, bankruptcy, crime, corruption, destruction of families and economic destabilization.  The gambling industry is about capitalizing on the loss of the thousands who participate in it.  It is as simple as that.  If everybody wins all the time, there would be no gambling industry.  I find it troubling that the Christie administration is now hoping for Bahamian gamblers to lose their money in order to line the coffers of the government.  I find it absolutely amazing that many Bahamians appear not to be troubled by this. Perhaps this is an indication of the signs of the times in which we are living. Still, if it doesn't upset you that your government is now counting on you to lose your money in order to improve its fiscal standing, what will?
A Christian, according to Chad Hills of Focus on the Family, should seek to love his neighbor, not profit by his/her loss.  I think Hills hit the nail right on the head by saying that gambling promotes the false hope of escaping work and education, while living in wealth.
The BCC should continue to sound the alarm on this ungodly practice, gambling.  But I think that Patterson and the other pastors who recently wrote a letter to the editor of The Nassau Guardian may be setting themselves up for a big letdown.  They seem to have too much confidence in the Bahamian people concerning this vexing issue.  If this issue goes to a referendum, it will pass.  There's simply no question about that.  Even the BCC and the group of pastors would have to admit that even in this so-called Christian nation, morality is a precious commodity.  If they don't believe me, then all they have to do is count the number of bar rooms and liquor stores in Nassau.
I recently heard a well known journalist say that 172,000 Bahamians buy numbers.  Even though his claim wasn't based on any scientific data, he might not be too far from the truth.  If it is true that one of the gambling moguls in Nassau has on his payroll a staggering 3,000 workers, then one has to admit that the numbers racket has mushroomed into a huge industry.  If the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) government were to shut down the number houses, it would essentially be digging its own political grave.
The PLP would only need a little over 86,000 of the 171,932 registered voters to vote yes on legalizing gambling in order for this thing to pass.  I believe that the PLP will pull this thing off because it was able to get 78,815 votes on May 7.  Supposing that the overwhelming majority of the 78,815 Bahamians who voted PLP would support their party's attempt to legalize gambling on Referendum Day, the governing party would only need an additional 7,186 votes from the opposition parties in order to get over the 50 percent mark.  With so many Bahamians gambling nowadays, I would be shocked if they are unable to pull this thing off.  Remember, it has been estimated that some 172,000 Bahamians take part in some form of illegal gambling. Therefore, passing this referendum should be a piece of cake for the Christie administration.
Another thing, the PLP can afford to legalize the web shops and not worry about losing substantial political capital, especially within the church and among the thousands of grassroot supporters in the inner city communities of Nassau.  If the results of the last election taught me anything, they have taught me that no matter what scandal the PLP is alleged to have committed, it is still the most popular party in this country.
Since time immemorial, the Baptist community has been a staunch ally of the PLP.  I don't see this issue changing that.  As a regular churchgoer, I can tell you that most Christians that I have met have a deep disdain for the Free National Movement (FNM). The way some of these people carry on, a vote for the FNM would be tantamount to supporting the kingdom of Satan.
We must keep in mind that Prime Minister Perry G. Christie pledged on numerous occasions at his party's Gold Rush rallies to bring the issue of legalizing gambling to the Bahamian people via a referendum.  Despite making this campaign promise, his party still won 29 out of 38 seats in Parliament.  Had it not been for the church, the PLP never would have seen the light of day.  That is why Christie is so determined on holding this referendum.  He knows that his party will not suffer any political repercussions from the church, notwithstanding the opposition of the BCC and the group of pastors.
The PLP administration isn't afraid of the church.  The BCC could huff and puff as much as it wants to, but it won't be able to frighten the prime minister into changing course. Clearly, the odds are stacked in the PLP's favor.  It is quite possible that the prime minister has chosen to ignore Pastor Lyall Bethel and the BCC for the simple reason that many church attendees are gainfully employed in the casinos.
Let me play devil's advocate and pose several questions to the BCC.  If the BCC and the group of pastors are so opposed to gambling, why don't they simply lobby the government to shut down the casinos in New Providence and Grand Bahama?  If gambling is wrong for Bahamians, then surely it is wrong for the thousands of tourists who visit Atlantis Paradise Island in order to gamble.
To the best of my knowledge, I never recall personally hearing any pastor speak out against the casinos.  As the BCC should know, God's moral laws are universal.  It is wrong for all peoples of every nation in every age to commit adultery or to commit murder.  Contrary to what the heretical Anglican priest Joseph Fletcher taught in the sixties, there is no such thing as situation ethics.  Further, are any of the pastors willing to admit that any of their members are casino workers?  If the answer is yes, do they collect tithes and offering from them?  Clearly, these are the hurdles that they must overcome in order to effectively oppose this plan to legalize gambling.
To be sure, I support the BCC and the group of pastors.  After all, I am also an evangelical Christian.  But I think they have already lost this battle.  Christie knows this. And he is not afraid to challenge the church in this regard. After all, he knows that the Bahamian church is pro-PLP.
 
- Kevin Evans

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